The J.O.Y. Patrol

**** This is a very old blog post. Look at my little Connor, who is now 6’4 and a Senior in College. I was thinking about the J.O.Y Patrol earlier this week as I watched my kids mentoring all of our FLL kids. As 17 year olds, my twins could be doing very different things with their time then serving others, but serving is what they choose to do. This idea of being the JOY Patrol by putting Jesus, and Others before themselves has been foundational to who they have become. It was a quick idea I had one Christmas, but it become much more. The more we teach our kids and provide ways for them to serve, the more grateful, loving people they become. When they are young, we must spur them on and create opportunities for them to be the JOY Patrol, but by the time they are older it becomes their idea. Do the work when they are little and you will enjoy the fruits when they are older. *****

Merry Christmas! Amongst the busyness we’ve tried to keep our Advent traditions going, most with success. One of the advent activities that our family enjoys doing is being the “J.O.Y. Patrol”.

Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

John 13:35 says, ” By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you lone one another.”

The “J.O.Y. Patrol” stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself. Using this, my children ( and myself), can remember what our priorities should be. God should always be placed first in our lives, then we should think of other’s needs, and only after that, our own. We’ve had fun making badges, door hangers and even t-shirts with J.O.Y. on them as a helpful reminder. The kids enjoy having a secret name for doing the right thing.

There are many things you can do during the Christmas season as the J.O.Y. Patrol. We bake cookies for our neighbors, give coins to the Salvation Army, make Operation Christmas Child presents, collect canned food for a local charity, make blessing bags for the homeless, shovel walks and generally just keep aware of opportunites to give. We don’t always do big things but hopefully things that show love to others and help to keep our hearts in the right place.

Categories: parenting, advent